Weight loss and muscle gain plan workout for beginners is both a simple yet complicated way of extracting the best from your body.
It is simple because if performed correctly, anyone can achieve healthy weight loss.
At the same time, it is complicated because most men and women who wish to get fit consider this to be a proposition that is ‘too good to be true’. So, what is it in reality? I mean can you really lose body fat and build lean muscle mass at the same time?
Well, yes and no!
In simpler words, you need to first loosen the extra pounds of fat content from your body. Only then can you hope to gain lean muscle mass. This is a scientific way of getting ripped (regardless of whether you are a man or a woman).
In this article, I shall explain how this can be achieved. Nonetheless, the question that bothers most obese individuals is whether you can get fit without leaving the comfort of your home.
The answer to this question is ‘yes’.
How?
Well…read on to know more:
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Weight Loss and Muscle Gain Plan Workout for Beginners Article Contents:
1) Can You Lose Weight & Gain Muscle at the Same Time?
@ Why You Cannot Lose Body Fat and Gain Muscle Mass at the Same Time?
@ Word of Caution while Losing Weight & Gaining Lean Muscle
2) What Causes Weight Gain in Men?
3) What are the Main Causes behind Weight Gain in Women?
4) How can You Gain Lean Muscle Mass?
@ What are the Benefits of Having Lean Muscle Mass?
@ How to Avoid Injuries while Developing Lean Muscle Mass?
5) What are the Best Exercises for Losing Extra Body Fat at Home?
6) What Should You Eat to Lose Body Fat at Home?
7) How to Gain lean Muscle Mass after Losing Body Fat at Home?
8) Conclusion
Can You Lose Weight & Gain Muscle at the Same Time?
Well, gaining muscle and losing weight at the same time is not possible. This is a myth that most fitness trainers globally want you to believe.
I believe, when you tend to believe that doing both is possible simultaneously, you tend to fall in the fitness market trap. This is when you begin to buy their products and deplete your bank balance (not your body fat percentage).
Wow! So, I can lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. How much should I pay you?
So, you are getting the point. You tend to get so attracted by this dual offer that you are willing to shell out your savings for it.
While you may achieve your fitness goals but it shall happen in two stages.
In the first stage, you shall lose extra body fat. In the second stage, you shall gain lean muscle mass. So while your chosen fitness program may promise both of these at the same time, the reality is different.
Why You Cannot Lose Body Fat and Gain Muscle Mass at the Same Time?
Picture this Scenario:
You might be paying a visit to the local gym and sweating it out. Despite you trying really hard, the results are not up to the mark. You do lose weight but are unable to gain the ripped physique that you always wanted.
Do you know the reason why?
The answer is simple indeed. In order to lose weight, you need to eat less. When your calorie consumption reduces, you tend to lose body fat. This calorie deficit needs to be coupled with regular high intensity cardiovascular training.
In order to gain lean muscle mass, you need to start increasing your calorie intake. This in turn implies that you consume more food than what your body necessarily needs to survive. Coupled with weight training exercises, you begin to gain lean muscle mass.
In a nutshell – your first lose weight and then gain lean muscle mass.
Nonetheless, you need to get it right. The balance between calorie deficit and calorie surplus needs to be well thought of. Even the slightest miscalculation may lead to loss of muscle and not fat. The results would therefore be no less than disastrous.
Word of Caution while Losing Weight & Gaining Lean Muscle
@ You need to go slow. Never speed up the weight loss process as doing so may harm your physical and mental well-being.
@ While losing body fat, try and adopt a diet that helps you lose 2 to 5 pounds per month. Starvation diets shall do more harm than good.
@ You need to consume a diet that is rich in protein and healthy fats. This is when you shall start to develop lean muscle mass.
@ Avoid foods that are ready-to-eat or processed. These simply damage your natural digestive process.
@ You should try and include salads into your diet. These help flush out free radicles from within your body.
@ Maintain a gap of 14 hours between your last meal of the day (dinner) and the first meal of the next day (breakfast). This helps burn more calories thereby permitting you to lose body fat.
@ Lift weights to failure in order to break-down the muscle tissue. You need to indulge in weight lifting thrice a week.
@ Drink plenty of fluids. These include juices, water and skimmed milk.
@ Allow your body complete rest for at least one day in a week.
What Causes Weight Gain in Men?
There are several reasons why men tend to gain extra body fat. This is true as you begin to age. So, after the 40 year age barrier, things start to really catapult in the wrong direction.
To know if you are overweight or not, simply measure your BMI. Anything above 24 triggers a red bulb of alarm. If left uncontrolled, obesity may lead to diabetes, heart ailments, thyroid and arthritis.
Well, here are a few main reasons behind this unfortunate yet true phenomenon – unwanted weight gain in men:
The Market of Overeating:
Foods that have a long shelf life are mixed with artificial stimulants. These can be compared to stimulants that tend to get you hooked to cigarettes or alcohol.
So, while these foods are tasty, they are unhealthy. Moreover, they are so addictive that you need them almost every day. While you do increase the sales of their manufacturers, you tend to add those extra pounds of fat rather quickly.
The Junk Food Addiction:
The world of burger and fries was created by marketing companies. It is not real. Just to sell their products, large multinational companies woe customers (using all kinds of techniques).
For this, they can drop down to just about any level – even resorting to misleading statements. So, avoid such false claims and avoid foods that are processed. Opt for healthy foods that are cooked in your own kitchen.
The Forefather Factor:
The gene is often considered the main culprit for unwanted weight gain. If your father or forefathers were over-weight, chances are that you too would be overweight. So, be sure to keep that in mind when you see pounds of extra body fat being added to your frame.
Insulin Spike:
Men often tend to struggle with regards to insulin resistance. When their insulin is not controlled, the energy stored in the cells tends to remain that way. Simply put, you find it rather tough to burn it into usable energy source. This leads to weight gain in men.
Certain Medical Conditions:
In case you are a diabetic or are under the influence of drugs used for treating mental ailments then again, you may gain unwanted pounds easily. These medicines tend to slow down your metabolism thereby promoting unhealthy weight gain. They also force you to overeat (food cravings).
Processed Sugar:
The craze for consuming processed sugar is unprecedented. Regardless of whether it is intentional or unintentional, processed sugar has become a part and parcel of everyone’s (well almost) daily menu.
The consequences of consuming processed sugar are disastrous. You store calories that simply do not get used as energy. Processed sugar is a carbohydrate that causes insulin spike. When that happens, you automatically gain weight.
What are the Main Causes behind Weight Gain in Women?
Women tend to gain body fat in the wrong places. The belly, butt, thigh, arm and face are where these extra pounds tend to deposit themselves. This can be both mentally as well as physically devastating for the woman in contention.
There could be various reasons why women gain unwanted body fat. Some of the most common ones include overeating, physical illness, menopause, menstrual cycle and age related sluggish metabolism. Whatever the reason may be, this extra weight often tends to hamper the normal life of a woman.
Here are the main reasons why women tend to gain unwanted body fat:
Ailment of the Ovaries:
Commonly known as the polycystic ovary syndrome, this ailment often compels women to gain unwanted body fat. When you suffer from this issue, sex hormones (testosterone) are produced at a rapid pace.
Menstrual cycles and acne is a clear indicator of the same. Women have hair onto their breast and abdominal area. Women also tend to develop dark patches onto their armpits and even face.
Illnesses that Lead to Weight Gain:
If you are suffering from mental diseases for which you take medications then, gaining weight is possible. Women taking medicines for controlling blood pressure levels or diabetes too have been known to gain weight.
The Nephritic Ailment:
In case you are gaining weight all of a sudden then, you need to pay attention to your kidneys. It is highly likely that your kidneys may be malfunctioning.
When your kidneys are not functioning optimally, you are unable to flush out waste matter from within your body. This in turn leads to unwanted weight gain in women.
What are the tell-tale signs of a malfunctioning kidney?
@ The ankle and feet may be swollen.
@ You may also feel tired and have issues urinating properly.
@ Your body may itch and your muscles may cramp often.
@ A foggy brain is also a side effect of an ill-functioning kidney.
Overproduction of Cortisol:
When you are taking medicines for treating arthritis or asthma then, their side effects are tremendous. One such aftereffect of these medicines is cortisol overproduction.
This in turn leads to unwanted weight gain in the abdominal, arms and legs of the concerned woman. Your limbs however remain stick thin. Your muscles become weak and your menstrual cycle becomes irregular.
Scarring of the Liver:
Yet another reason why you gain weight (especially around the abdominal and thigh area) is a scarred liver. Scarred liver forces fluid retention in the stomach. This also causes bloating.
Pain in the stomach is a tell-tale sign of liver infection in women. You may find it tough to breathe normally. You may also suffer from inflammation in and around the ankle area.
Excessive Production of Growth Hormone:
When your arms and feet tend to get enlarged, it is a sign that your growth hormone is being produced rapidly. This is way more than what a woman’s body requires.
When your growth hormone is being rapidly produced, your nose and tongue too shall become larger in size. Snoring and deepening of the voice is also a tell-tale sign of the same.
Basically, this condition causes weight gain in all the unusual places. Apparently, your pituitary gland is to be blamed for the same.
Chronic Cardiac Issues:
Yet another reason why women gain weight (rather rapidly) is when their heart is not functioning optimally. Over here, your heart is malfunctioning and you are gaining weight (2.2 kilograms in a week). This is a rather dramatic way to gain weight.
Cardiac issues slow down the blood flow to other organs. This causes fluid retention and the inability of the human body to flush out waste matter.
To identify heart related issues, identify whether you are coughing insistently, feeling dizzy, losing appetite or are unable to sleep while lying flat on your back.
Sleeplessness & Saying Goodbye to Cigarettes:
Women that are unable to maintain 8 hours of sleep at night suffer from weight gain. This is because their stress levels are high, which releases cortisol. Gaining body fat owing to cortisol release is common in women.
Another reason why women gain unwanted body fat in all the wrong parts is quitting cigarettes. When you quit cigarettes, the side effect left behind by this addiction leads to increased food cravings.
This in turn compels women to eat more than what their body requires. The end result needs no rocket science explanation – unwanted weight gain.
How can You Gain Lean Muscle Mass?
Lean muscle could be developed via weight training, resistance training or even body weight training. Whichever way you choose, building muscle has immense benefits for both your mind and body.
Apart from carrying your office suitcase or a bag of veggies up and down the staircase, a pair of chiselled abdominal muscles can also help you remain fit and disease free for the rest of your life.
Few Inside Tips to Gain Lean Muscle Mass:
Opt for Body Weight Exercises:
While many men and women are of the opinion that body weight exercises are not effective, in reality, this is a myth. To avoid injuring your joints and lower back, opt for body weight exercises. These can help you develop lean muscle mass as efficiently as weight laden bars and dumbbells.
How to Execute Body Weight Exercises?
You need to simply try and incorporate repetitions over weight. For example, instead of opting for barbell weighted bench press on a flat bench, opt for push-ups instead.
Perform repetitions till the time you cannot push your body away from the floor any more. Similarly, instead of placing barbell onto your shoulder, squat using your bodyweight only. Stop when you cannot squat no more.
Which All Exercises can I Perform?
You can perform high intensity exercises. These are inclusive of short sprint sessions, burpees, running on the spot and jumping jacks. You can opt for bodyweight exercises and even lift light weights. Power yoga is a great option.
Opt for Isometric Exercises:
Another way to build lean muscle mass fast is by including isomeric movements into your exercise routine. These exercises aim at contracting the muscle instead of lengthening or thickening it. There is no added pressure on any joint while performing this exercise.
The advantage here is to provide stability to your body. The core as well as joints in your body is provided with stability. This in turn helps when you perform body weight or weight based exercises to develop lean muscle mass.
Isometric exercises help in maintaining optimal blood pressure levels. Most common isometric exercises include the ‘boat’ and ‘plank’ pose. You may also opt for the ‘warrior pose’ or the ‘glute-bridge’. Advanced forms may include the horse pose.
Include Isotonic Exercises into Your Workouts:
In these exercises, the overall range of motion remains the same. The muscles are contracted and relaxed in a sort of mechanical way. The end result of these exercises is breakdown of muscle fiber. This in turn needs to be rebuilt via the means of diet and exercise.
Some of the most common isotonic movements used for building lean muscle mass include pull-ups and push ups. You may also opt for squat and deadlift to achieve this aim.
The distinct advantage of performing these exercises is their ease of delivery. You do not have to rely on any external assistance for the same.
Quit the Rule Game:
While both isometric and isotonic movements are ideal for gaining lean muscle mass fast, you need to improvise to get the best out of them. In simper words, you need to make changes to each and every movement as per your body requirements.
In case you are unable to perform push ups, you can take the help of the wall and push against it. This is an easier way to perform push up exercises. Similarly, if you cannot perform squats, place a stool under your butt. Sit on it and then stand right back up.
Improvising the exercise to suit your physical and mental needs is an ideal way to increase lean muscle mass without injuring yourself in the act.
Push and Pull Exercise Combination:
In order to reap the desired benefits from your weight training session, club both push as well as pull exercises. So, you may perform pull ups and follow them with push ups.
The combination of both push and pull exercises enables your body to undergo a state of shock. This is a positive way of tearing muscle fibers. After a healthy diet and a good night’s rest, you can rebuild them to gain lean muscle mass.
What are the Benefits of Having Lean Muscle Mass?
Apart from just the ‘look good’ factor, muscle development in both males and females has immense benefits. Let me walk you through a few of these in brief:
You Burn Calories Faster:
Men and women with lean muscle mass tend to burn calories at a faster pace. This is because muscle needs more oxygen to function. Basically, the muscle tissue needs more calories to function.
Large muscles are present in the thigh and chest area. Arms and shoulders also comprise of major muscle groups. These areas cover a lot of ground. So, you tend to burn fat even when you are asleep, just to allow the muscle tissue to survive.
Physically Fit and Strong:
More lean muscle implies more strength. So, when you have more muscle mass, you are automatically stronger. This strength can be utilized to perform a wide variety of actions.
You can walk long distances, haul heavier weights and take care of yourself against a sudden onslaught. Basically, being muscular has its distinct advantages when it comes to ‘getting the job done’ firmly.
You Look Sexier:
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, a lean and muscular body is always appealing to others. When a man has broad shoulders and a slim waist, he appears attractive to girls.
Similarly, when a woman has a slim waist and a sculpted figure, a man is always ‘keeping an eye’ on her. Hence, being muscular and ‘fat free’ is a perfect way to attract the opposite sex.
Your Mind is Always Positive:
While this may not be directly linked with your lean muscle mass yet, a positive state of mind is definitely an outcome of a healthy physique/figure. So, you can be rest assured that negative thoughts shall remain far away from a man or woman with a healthy body.
More Friends and a Better Social Circle:
It goes without saying that a healthy body leads to more confidence. So when you are confident, you tend to become outgoing. This is when you begin to develop friends. Your social circle therefore expands without you having to put in any extra effort.
Hence, you are loving life owing to your large friends circle. All this is because you have a lean and muscled body. A woman on the other hand would have an hourglass figure.
You Stay Away from Vices:
Once again, this is not directly linked with your muscle mass. Nonetheless, it has an indirect link that cannot be undermined. When you have a well-toned figure/physique, you tend to have positive thoughts.
These thoughts help you surround yourself with positive people. This in turn shuns negativity. When you have less negative thoughts, you steer clear of vices. Some of these include smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, taking drugs and even gambling.
Lesser Medical Bills:
It is no rocket science to understand that a fit and healthy body is less susceptible to illnesses. So, you have lesser chances to fall sick and pay enormous expenses on medications.
Lesser medical bills allow you to increase your savings. This also implies that you can spend money on items your always desired and on holidays. Moreover, the pain (mental and physical) involved in falling sick is avoided.
Natural Anti-Aging Tonic:
When you are free from extra body fat, you tend to take away all the stress from your organs. These include the kidney, liver, heart, lungs amongst others. So, you tend to retain your youth naturally. In a nutshell, your physique works as a natural anti-aging tonic.
How to Avoid Injuries while Developing Lean Muscle Mass?
You need to have a practical approach while hitting the gym. Try and avoid getting lured by what others are doing. Instead, focus on what you can and want to achieve from your body.
Nonetheless, getting injured while trying to develop lean muscle mass is an easy task. Here are a few ways to avoid this unfortunate debacle:
Ego Vs Practicality:
When you pay a visit to the gym, you tend to get swayed. You watch others lifting heavy weights. This is when you forget your personal potential and start to copy others. Recipe for disaster is in the making.
So, it is best to avoid copying others. Lift weights that fit your bill and not what others are lifting. Everyone lifts as per their personal capacity.
So, you need to watch out and be careful else injuring your lower back and joints is as easy as snapping a twig between your fingers.
Avoid Stretching before a Gym Workout Session:
I know this sounds unlike what most gym coaches shall teach you. Nonetheless, you should avoid stretching your body before indulging in a weight training session.
The reason behind this is to avoid injuring your joints and tendons in the act. If you stretch before warming up your muscle tissues, tendons and joints, injuring or even tearing them is very easy. So, you might want to avoid stretching before hitting the squat rack.
Warm Up Before Hitting the Gym:
I never said you should not warm up before hitting the weights rack. Nonetheless, this warm-up session needs to be dynamic in nature. Begin with exercises such as running on the spot, a walk on a treadmill, jumping jacks etc.
When you indulge in these exercises, you tend to warm up your tendons, joints and muscle tissues. So, by the time you are ready to hit the weights rack, your entire body is warmed up and primed to perform at its peak level.
Never Skip Your Warm-Up Sets:
Even before you begin with your workouts, you need to lay emphasis on the working sets. In simpler words, fire up your muscles with the aid of light weight dumbbells.
So for example, if you are working out your chest then, perform two sets of light weight dumbbells. Thereafter, you can perform three working sets, thereby increasing the weights (as per your personal discretion).
The reason why you perform warm ups sets is to activate all the dormant muscles present in your body. When your muscles are activated, injuring them is near impossible. So, your working sets become more impactful.
Correct Form Over Impulse Based Action:
You need to ensure that you perform your repetitions in the most optimal fashion. In simpler words, the form of any exercise that you perform needs to be optimal.
You should avoid twisting, jerking, pushing forcefully or bending awkwardly while performing any exercise. This is with regards to exercises based on free-weights or body-weight.
When you push forcefully, chances are that you shall injure your joints or muscles in the act. So, avoid this at any cost (especially if you are just starting out with weight training).
Avoid Over Exercising:
There is always a risk of exerting over and above your maximum potential. It needs to be noted that men and women aiming to achieve an hourglass physique/figure often ‘go the extra mile’ to achieve their goals.
In this quest, you tend to forget the rest days. Exercising more than the required amount may result in ‘breakdown’ of precious muscle tissue.
This is when you need to exercise caution. Instead of gaining lean muscle mass, you shall lose the muscle you already possess. So, rest twice every week in order to recoup your battered body.
Never Exceed the Secret ‘40 Minute’ Window:
Last but not the least you should avoid exceeding working out more than 40 minutes at a stretch. This does not include a 5 minute dynamic warm-up and a 5 minute stretching cool-down session.
Basically, you should never exceed the 40 minute mark. If you do exceed the 40 minute mark (this is with special regards to exercising at the gym), you need to avoid it at all costs.
As per science, any rigorous activity that exceeds the 40 minute mark tends to take a toll on your lean muscle tissue. This is with regards to its breakdown. So, if you are working out one and a half hour at a stretch then, you are losing muscle rather than building it up.
What are the Best Exercises for Losing Extra Body Fat at Home?
The best way to lose extra body fat is to indulge in certain specific exercises. These should ideally be performed at home. Nonetheless, if you have access to a local gym then, go ahead and perform these at the gym as well.
Nonetheless, I shall avoid the gym at all costs because the gym tends to prompt you to lift weights. This is what you need to avoid at all cost – the urge to lift weights! The moment you get tempted to lift a dumbbell, your goal to lose body fat gets tarnished.
Here are the top 5 fat burning exercises at home that require no equipment:
Exercise # 1: Jumping Jacks & Running on the Spot:
The first exercise that I recommend is jumping jacks. Here, you need to execute the first set of jumping jacks in strict form. Perform 15 to 20 repetitions.
Rest for 30 seconds and then follow this with running on the spot. Again the repetitions for this should be not less than 20. When you complete 20 repetitions of jumping jacks and running on the spot then, it is considered one set.
You need to complete 5 sets of these exercises. As I have said before, one set of 15-20 reps (jumping jacks) & one set of 15-20 reps (running on the spot) comprises of 1 set.
Exercise # 2: Burpees with 45 Second Rest Period:
Once you have completed the first set of exercises (jumping jacks and running on the spot), follow this up with a burpee cession. Perform this exercise keeping in mind the correct form.
Perform 8 to 10 repetitions of this exercise to complete one set. After the completion of one set, you need to rest for a period of 45 seconds. Do 3 sets of this exercise.
Exercise # 3: Box Jumps with Varying Height:
The best fat burning exercise for beginners at home is box jumps. Simply jump on the box placing your toes onto the top of the box. Jump down to the ground before repeating the exercise again.
Repeat these jumps 8 to 15 times in a single set. You need to increase the height of the boxes with each progression. Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions. The rest period between each set should be 30 to 45 seconds.
Exercise # 4: Walking Up a Flight of Stairs:
Well, this may sound weird yet, in reality, it is very effective indeed. All you need to do is choose a flight of stairs that are standard in a home. They should not be too high nor too low (in terms of their spacing).
Simply sling a backpack filled with 10 to 15 kilograms of weight (or as per your choosing) and start to walk up the flight of stairs. Climb up to 25 stairs. Pause at the top for a second or two to catch your breath. Start your decent.
The up (the flight of stairs) and down motion is termed as a single repetition. Perform this act 5 times to complete a single set. You need to perform 3 sets to achieve the desired aim.
Exercise # 5: Bear Crawl:
This is the last and final method of losing your body fat. Find a suitable place to crawl. This is similar to crawling like a small baby. It needs to be performed in a slow yet steady manner wherein the weight of your body rests on your palms and balls of your feet.
The aftereffect of this exercise is on your lungs and core. Use a timer while performing this exercise. A single set should last three minutes. This should be backed by a minute long rest period. Repeat this exercise three times to complete the task for the day.
A Parting Fat Loss Tip:
There is no specific rule that you need to follow all the above mentioned exercises in a set pattern. You may or may not follow a pattern. If you like, omit an exercise or two to suit your needs.
Nonetheless, if you follow this exercise regime for a period of 3 months, you would notice visible loss in your body fat percentage. Losing 10 to 20 pounds is rather easy via this method.
What Should You Eat to Lose Body Fat at Home?
Exercising is not sufficient for you to lose extra body fat. You also need to consume a healthy diet. So basically, you need to club the right kind of exercises with the right kinds of foods to achieve optimal weight loss.
Well, here are the top eating tips that you should keep in mind in order to achieve a leaner physique:
Prefer Vegetarian Over Non-Vegetarian Foods:
This might be a bummer for some but vegetarian food is a must-have if you want to lose weight fast. Vegetarian food is devoid of hard digesting foods. This in turn implies that green vegetables are easily digested by the human body.
Moreover, the fiber content in vegetarian foods allows you to feel fuller. This in turn ensures that you are able to avoid consuming food more than the necessary amount. The fiber content in vegetarian foods also aids your digestive process.
Skip Breakfast Permanently:
I’m sure this one too shall come across as a weird suggestion but believe me, it works. When you wish to lose extra body fat, you need to maintain calorie deficit in your body.
So, have an early dinner (say at about 7: 30 PM) and then follow that up with a late lunch (say at about 1:30 PM). So, this 18 hour gap in between two meals helps your body optimize its lazy metabolism.
This intermittent fasting process also speeds up your calorie burning process. You end up losing more weight this way. It is also a safe way to lose extra body fat.
Drink Warm Lemonade:
This is a ritual that works wonders in speeding up your sluggish metabolism. Fresh lemon juice when mixed with a glass of warm water tends to stabilize your digestion. It also helps you flush out plaque that is stuck in your colon.
The end result of this morning ritual is a better digestive system. When you are able to flush out waste matter from within your colon, you lose weight as well. Losing up to 25 pounds of stubborn body fat using this method is quite possible.
Apple Cider Vinegar:
The reason why apple cider vinegar has been considered an ideal way to lose belly fat is because it actually works. The reason why it helps metabolize fat deposits within your cells is owing to its high acidic levels.
So, when you drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water early in the morning, the metabolism gets kick-started almost instantly. The acidic solution tends to metabolize fat stored within your cells. The fat thus converted into energy is used-up when you work out at the gym.
Eat Dinner before Sundown:
When the sun is visible in the horizon, you are able to maintain your metabolism. The moment it sinks into the horizon and night sets in, your digestion too sinks.
This is an ancient Ayurveda concept that has also been scientific proven to work in practicality. When you eat food before sundown, your digestion is optimal. So, no undigested food is left rotting in your stomach.
This in turn avoids the accumulation of plaque in your colon. The end result is a well-balanced digestive system that is free from unwanted body fat.
Greens and Beans Don’t go Hand in Hand:
In order to lose body fat, you should include greens in your diet. These include spinach, broccoli, kale, gourd etc. At the same time, avoid heavy beans such as kidney beans.
While it is a good idea to eat beans as they are fortified with proteins, vitamins and minerals, their consumption should be limited to twice a week.
Greens flush out waste matter from your system thereby reducing your weight. Beans on the other hand, increase body fat percentage. So, eat wisely.
Make Lunch Your Priority Meal:
The lunch should be the heaviest meal of the day if your goal is to achieve maximum weight loss. I (LeanAndFit) am assuming that you have had an early dinner and skipped breakfast the next day.
So, with the intermittent fasting burning calories at warp speed, your lunch should be prioritized. Eat a heavy meal that is fortified with healthy proteins, fats and even carbohydrates.
An ideal lunch includes fresh salad, buttermilk, cottage cheese, lentil and whole wheat bread. You may even add a dessert to your meal. This makes it a fulfilling meal that satisfies not only your appetite but also your mind.
How to Gain Lean Muscle Mass after Losing Body Fat at Home?
After losing the extra body fat, the next step is to develop lean muscle mass. This is by far the most important step in developing an hourglass figure/physique.
So from calorie deficit, you suddenly enter the calorie surplus stage. This is a transition that needs to be dealt with in a suitable manner. There needs to be no mistake whatsoever while making this transition.
Well, here are some tips:
The Calorie Surplus Regime:
In order to lose body fat, you need to consume a diet that is deficient in calories. So, you tend to consume fewer calories than what your body requires to function normally in a single day. This is how you end up losing weight.
Now that you have achieved your fat loss goals, the next step is to build muscle. For this, you need to consume more calories than what your body requires to function throughout the day.
For example, your body needs 2000 calories to perform all the tasks it needs daily. If you consume 2000 calories, you maintain your current weight. If you consume less than this number, you lose weight.
Now, to gain lean muscle mass, you need to exceed the 2000 calorie per day mark. This is a simple math, yet it is not as simple as it seems. We shall discuss this point in the next sub-header.
Choose Your Surplus Calories with Utmost Care:
The extra food that you eat to gain lean muscle mass should be lean as well. Simply put, the calories need to be derived from fat free healthy proteins. These need to be backed by healthy fats and energy-fortified carbohydrates.
A classic example of the same is low fat cottage cheese, lentil, flaxseed, soaked almonds, banana, whole wheat grain based pancakes, green vegetables, olive oil and fresh fruit juice.
When you have a diet that includes the above mentioned ingredients, weight gain is inevitable. Nonetheless, the added weight shall be in the form of muscle tissue and not fat tissue.
More Protein is Not the KEY to Gaining Muscle Mass:
It is true that proteins are the building blocks for muscles. Nonetheless, if these amino acids are not clubbed with vitamins, minerals and other macronutrients, building lean muscles is not possible.
So, proteins alone should not be considered as the most vital food for developing a muscular physique. Fish oils, fruits, vegetables, almonds, kale and fruit juices need to added to your daily egg routine. Only then shall you develop muscles after losing the extra body fat.
0.75 Gram of Protein Per Kilogram of Body Weight is Enough:
This is yet again a controversial topic of discussion. In my (LeanAndFit Review Staff) opinion, less than one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient to gain lean muscle mass.
When you provide this amount of protein to your body and exercise regularly, you develop lean muscle tissue. Consuming 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a myth. It is a propaganda initiated by the billion dollar Body Building industry to sell their products.
Lift Weight Thrice a Week:
Resistance training is essential if you want to develop lean muscle mass. Nonetheless, you need to avoid overdoing it. If you hit the gym each and every day then, instead of gaining muscle, you shall lose your original muscle mass.
So, opting for resistance training three times a week is a good idea. Give a gap of one day between each resistance training routine. Out of 7 days in a week, 1 day should be kept only for cardiovascular training.
Never Exceed 45 Minutes at the Gym:
Exercising 2 hours at the gym shall yield negative results. Excess lifts tend to break down your muscle tissue. So, you need to exercise caution while working out.
After the 45 minute window is complete, your body goes in a catabolic state (unless you are on steroids, which you do not want to be in). So stop right there and head home for a shower. When you keep your workout short, muscles grow really fast.
Shorten the Rest Period:
This is with special regards to the rest period between each working set. This period should be in between 30 seconds to 1 minute. When you work on shorter muscle groups (such as the arms and calves) the rest period needs to be within the 30 second mark.
In case you are exercising the chest, shoulder and back, the rest period between each set should not exceed the 45 second mark. If you are working out your thigh or indulging in deadlifts, the rest period should be 1 minute or slightly longer (if the need arises).
Increase Your Sleep Cycle:
Apart from diet and exercise, to grow muscle, you need to have a suitable sleep cycle. So, at night you need to sleep for 8 hours a day. If need be, sleep for an hour in the afternoon (post lunch) as well.
When you sleep at night, your body releases growth hormones. Your muscles start to grow longer and broader only when you have ample growth hormones in your body. So, rest well at night and ensure that you never compromise on your beauty sleep.
Watch Tom & Jerry Daily:
Well, in order to build muscle, you have to watch Tom & Jerry daily. Sounds silly doesn’t it? Well, it does sound weird but it has a logical reasoning to it. What I mean to say is that to be able to build muscle, you need to be happy from within.
So, you should indulge in activities that make you laugh out aloud. This may include watching a comedy movie, a cartoon show or attending a stand-up comedy show. A happy mind translates into a healthy body.
Conclusion
Your body is no less than a holy temple. If you learn to take good care of it, you shall be happy and healthy. If you neglect your body, you shall experience an unhealthy life. This is something that you would like to avoid at all costs.
You should also make note of the fact that losing weight and gaining lean muscle mass at the same time is not possible. You need to first shed the excess pounds before adding pounds of lean muscle mass to your body.
So, if anyone tells you that losing body fat and gaining muscle is possible together – you know he/she does not have the facts right. It would take time to get to your fitness goals. So, there is no point rushing things.
In the field of fitness, slow and steady always wins the race.